What it Means to Love
by Maplestream
Summary: After the war with Alvarez, life was returning to normal for Fairy Tail. However, something was different in the hearts of Natsu and Lucy, something they could not pinpoint. What will it take for them to understand the callings of their hearts, and the true meaning of love? Perhaps a mixture of demons, black magic, and a tortured soul will be enough to open their eyes to the truth.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to the first fanfic/full length story I have ever written. I hope I have the dedication to fulfill my plan for this story. **

**This story is set after the Alvarez arc so possible spoilers ahead. And yes, I know that the 100-year quest is pretty much directly after this arc but for the sake of this story, lets pretend it didn't happen.**

**I hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own squat. Mashima is the mastermind behind this masterpiece of an anime**

* * *

The clear blue sky of a pristine summer's day appeared before the slowly blinking eyes of the sleepy celestial mage. As the morning's rays bathed her face, Lucy stretched her exhausted body and let out a satisfying yawn.

Their last mission had been gruelling; every muscle ached. Defeating a cult dedicated to the mastery of the dark arts was bad enough without having to do it in an underground labyrinth filled with traps and trials. By the end, even her brain was hurting.

The word 'relief' didn't even begin to describe how blissful returning home was. Everyone was wiped out, and Natsu and Happy chose to spend the night at Lucy's. At that point, she had been too tired to argue.

Lucy gave one last stretch of her aching muscles and went to roll out of bed when she was stopped by a warm mass.

_What the-? _Rubbing her sleep-filled eyes, Lucy peered at the lump beside her. Her waking brain slowly registered the origin of the salmon colour hogging her pillow.

"NATSU, WHAT THE HELL!?"

A loud grumble escaped the salamander's lips upon being woken by Lucy's scream.

"What are you yelling for? It's too early for screaming," he groaned sleepily.

Annoyance flooded Lucy's veins as she absorbed this blatant disregard for privacy and personal space. Ignoring the pain in her muscles, she shoved the sleeping dragon as hard as she could, revelling in the satisfying thump of his body hitting the floor. She turned and noticed a familiar blue lump at the foot of her bed, and thought it was only appropriate to return the cat to his partner, now sprawled on the floor.

"What was that for!?" Natsu cried in irritation as Happy peeled himself off the floorboards.

"What do you think, flame for brains!?" Lucy glared down at them from atop her reclaimed, mattress throne. Trying hard to calm her rage, Lucy hissed through gritted teeth, "Natsu. Happy. How on Earthland do you think it is a good idea to keep sneaking into my bed without permission!?"

"That futon you put out for us was so lumpy and uncomfortable; there was no way we could sleep on that crap. So, we slept on your bed instead since it's so much comfier." Natsu, satisfied with his reasoning, grinned up at her innocently.

The summoner was NOT being sucked in by those puppy dog eyes. "Well maybe I could actually buy a proper futon if you stopped destroying everything and getting our reward reduced! Until then, SUFFER!" Lucy could practically feel the veins popping in her head.

"It's not _my_ fault that cave was right below the town's centre," Natsu muttered indignantly.

"Aye, it's not like Natsu _tried_ to sink half the town… or set fire to the mayor's house… or let those monsters loose," chimed Happy.

"Why do I feel like that's worse?" It was a wonder how one was supposed to keep their sanity around these nitwits. Lucy let out a sigh. "Anyway, I hardly see how squeezing into a single bed with me can be deemed 'comfortable'."

Natsu rose from his position on the floor and stretched his arms into the air. "What are you talking about? It's always comfortable around you."

Lucy was taken aback by the sudden compliment; her cheeks warmed as she sat with her mouth agape, unable to think of a response.

"Although, you can snore like a pig."

Her fleeting happiness was quickly replaced by annoyance; she slapped him hard across the arm. "Don't sleep in my bed then, jerk!"

"Lucy's so mean in the morning," he pouted to Happy.

"Aye, sir."

Giving up on her anger, Lucy let out a frustrated groan and abandoned the pointless conversation to shower. "You two leaches better not break anything while I'm gone, or your bodies will wash up down the canal."

"Yes, ma'am," they said in unison whilst saluting.

The sound of shattering glass a few minutes later was almost comforting in its predictability… almost.

* * *

"WE'RE HERE," Natsu cried into the guild hall as he burst through the doors, resulting in a chorus of greetings from inside.

Erza and Gray were already seated at the bar, so Lucy and Natsu made their way over to them while Happy flew off to find Carla. "Morning you two. How are you feeling after the job?"

"Good morning, Lucy. I feel quite relaxed after being able to sleep in my own bed again," said Erza over her odd breakfast choice of strawberry cake.

"Yeah but I'd sure feel a lot better if that pyromaniac hadn't almost crushed us to death with a cavern roof." Gray leaned back to glare at Natsu who stood beside Lucy. "Also doesn't help that we lost our reward too thanks to this moron."

"You looking to start something, stripper? I'll crush you for real this time!"

"Natsu. Enough." Two simple words from Erza's mouth was all it took for sweat to start pouring from Natsu's brow.

"Hahaha how pathetic," chuckled the ice mage.

"What was that, Gray?" The glare from her dark eyes was intense.

"Nothing!"

Lucy giggled. Not even Zeref and Alvarez scared these boys as much as a stern word from Erza does.

It had been two months since their fight with the foreign country, and life had mostly returned to normal. However, there were ways in which they would never be the same again, revelations that cannot be forgotten. But as Lucy observed her teammates, she realized with a rush of pride that they had to strength to make it through anything, Fairy Tail would never crumble.

"It's too early in the morning for fighting, we should be relaxing, we have had a rough week." Erza smiled warmly as she took a bite of her cake, a sudden mood shift from a few seconds prior.

Lucy sighed dejectedly. "I wish I could partake in some relaxation, but my rent is due in four days and I've got no money."

Upon seeing her pained expression, Natsu draped an arm over her shoulders. "Don't worry, we'll get another job today that'll cover your rent."

"You probably only want that so you can keep stealing my bed." Lucy turned her head to glare at the salamander, blushing slightly as she noticed how close he was to her face.

"Well it is so much better than my hammock at home," he smiled.

"So, buy your own!"

"Natsu, are you being creepy at Lucy's again?" Gray asked mockingly.

"No! Like you can talk about being creepy, streaker," Natsu retorted as he gave Gray the once-over.

"MY CLOTHES!"

"Can we please just go on a job already," Lucy pleaded, not wanting to witness another fight.

"Sure thing." Natsu grabbed Lucy by hand and guided her over to the request board. She couldn't help but notice how the gentle warmth of his hand prickled against her palm. "So, which one should we go on?" he inquired as they arrived at the board. "Ooo tracking bandits, that sounds fun. No wait! Defeating a water monster off the shore at Hargeon. Let's pick this one." Natsu snatched the paper off the board and waved it in Lucy's face excitedly.

Lucy grabbed at the flyer in annoyance. "No way am I letting you pick the mission since it's your fault I need to take another one in the first place. I'm not even sure if I should let you come. I can't afford another loss of payment."

Natsu became visibly upset by this proposal. "But, Lucyyyy, we're a team. We have to go together," he sulked.

Lucy sighed. Despite her annoyance at him, she didn't like to see him upset, and a mission would feel wrong without him. "Fine, you can come. Only if you swear to behave yourself. And I'm picking a job with as little fighting as possible to reduce the chance of you going overboard."

Although he instantly brightened, Natsu seemed slightly miffed by this last condition, but even he could figure out he had no room to complain. "I swear! You're the best, Lucy."

The summoner's cheeks flushed with heat, so she quickly averted her gaze to the board to try and hide her small smile. After a couple minutes of browsing, she removed a flyer and held it out to her partner. "How about this one?"

His eyes scanned the page. "Recover a stolen ancient magic book? Ugh that sounds bori-" He cut off at the sight of Lucy's glare. "-I mean brilliant," he beamed innocently.

Lucy chuckled triumphantly and snatched the paper to take it to Mira. "That's what I like to hear," she replied as she sauntered off. Pride swelled in the celestial mage's chest at the fact that sometimes she could influence the actions of that stubborn salamander so well. Turning back to her partner she cried, "Meet me at the train station at 1." The instant look of horror that crossed his face made her giggle.

* * *

The faint flickering of candle flames reflected in a pair of violet eyes as they gazed upon the dark figure before them. Sounds of chanting echoed in the enclosed space, causing the air to hum with dark energy. A low growl rumbled from the shadows, adding to the vibrations; the figure chanted louder in response. A flash of light burst from the ground in a circle around the figures. The rumbling growl exploded into an ear-shattering roar that shook the ground, drowning out the heart-wrenching scream of fear.

* * *

_Hope yall enjoyed this. _

_Idk how often I can upload as I am very prone to writers block._

_Lemme know what ya thought _

_xx_


	2. Chapter 2

**First off, wow this really popped off more than I thought it would, so yall are bloody legends.**

**Second, I'm sorry this chapter took as long as it did. I literally had most of it written out before I even posted chapter 1, but I got stuck on this one part for ages. I finally got through it, but to put the cherry on top of that already delicious cake, my laptop crashed and I lost so much work cause autosave is a lie (winning). So, it all had to be rewritten, which is sad cause I reckon the first draft was better, but I can't remember exactly what I wrote cause I did it at 3am :(. Lesson learnt, save every sentence.**

**I hope yall like what I managed to scrape together. Ngl trying to adhere to their original characters has been harder than I thought. I have gained new respect for writers; this shit is difficult. **

**Warning: hella Alvarez spoils ahead**

**Please enjoy x**

* * *

"Do we haaaaave to take the train?" Natsu complained loudly to his partner, dragging his feet in protest. The smell of the station was already making him feel queasy.

"Sorry, Natsu, but it's way too far to walk; I would've lost my apartment by the time we got there." She glanced at him sympathetically. "Besides, you were the one who begged to come."

"Aww did you wanna go with Lucy that badly, huh?" Happy teased.

Natsu's cheeks began to glow bright red. "I didn't beg! And if I'd known we have to travel so far, I wouldn't have asked to come at all," he retorted, crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly.

"Suuuure you wouldn't have. I _completely _believe you," the blue cat snickered from behind his paws.

"Shut up, Happy!"

A small giggle escaped Lucy's lips, the sweet sound causing warmth to flood Natsu's chest. Seeing her happiness always brought him joy, and this feeling would appear every time he witnessed it. _It must be 'cause we're such good friends_, Natsu concluded silently.

"You two are ridiculous." Lucy smiled up at Natsu tenderly. The feeling in his chest worsened. This never happened with anyone else; it must be Lucy's fault.

"You're a werido, Luce." The arrival of the train spared him from her retaliation, although, he realised he would rather she kill him where he stood. He cried in anguish as he was dragged towards his living hell.

As expected, the train ride was torture. It had only been 5 minutes of the two-hour-long train ride and he was already eager to throw himself out the window. It was like his stomach had turned into a lava dragon that was trying to claw its way out his throat. His head was throbbing, and his muscles had turned to pure jelly, so it was all he could do but drape himself against the window.

Lucy was sat beside him, reading peacefully while Happy napped in the seat across from them. By now, she had gotten used to Natsu's motion sickness, so could zone out unbothered.

A large bump on the tracks rattled the whole train and threw Natsu from his position against the window. He lurched forward as his lunch threatened to return to the outside. He managed to somehow suppress the urge to redecorate the floor, but that had drained the last of his energy. He fell to the side as his exhausted muscles went lax, his cheek colliding with something warm and soft.

"Huh? Natsu? What the hell are you doing on my lap?" Lucy asked in surprise.

"So…rry…Lu…cy," he mumbled feverishly. A new feeling of fluttering erupted in his stomach, but the swirling in his head subsided.

Lucy's reaction to his intrusion took Natsu by surprise. "It's fine," she sighed warmly, "just try not to throw up on me." She reached down and began absentmindedly running her fingers through his hair. The fluttering feeling intensified, and yet Natsu couldn't help but smile a little. Whatever this new sickness was, it was better than wanting to barf every two seconds. He nuzzled his head into his friend's lap and tried to focus on her soothing scent filling his nose instead of the movements of the carriage, managing to drift into a light sleep nestled against her smooth skin.

When the train came to a stop and they made their way onto the platform, a small part of Natsu felt almost… disappointed. What the hell was going on with him? He must really be losing it.

"We can probably make it to the client's town before dark if we walk, 'cause I don't suppose you wanna take a carriage huh, Natsu." Lucy smiled up at him teasingly.

"You're actually volunteering to _walk_?" He gawked at the blonde incredulously.

Lucy crossed her arms over her chest and pouted at him stubbornly. "You're right, what was I thinking? A carriage ride seems like a much better idea, right Happy?"

The Exceed snickered evilly. "That's what you get for opening your big mouth, Natsu."

Natsu cried out in alarm, sinking to his knees to beg. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Can we please walk!? I'll carrying your bag! Hell, I'll even carry _you_! Please, Lucyyyy! I don't wanna die!" He punctuated every sentence with fierce bows, tears streaming from his eyes.

Lucy let out a sharp laugh and leaned down to help him up. "Okay, okay, you win, we can walk," she declared through her giggles.

"Woohoo!" Natsu exclaimed as he jumped in the air. "You're the best, Lucy."

"So you keep saying," she chuckled.

He glanced down at his smiling partner and was unsurprised when that warmth swelled in his chest again. He had the sudden urge to wrap her in his arms and hold her close to him.

"Though I do recall you saying you'll carry my bag," she added quickly, thrusting her luggage towards him with a smile.

An evil grin spread across the salamander's face. "Nuh uh, I said I'll carry _you_." He launched towards her with surprising speed and hoisted her over his shoulder like a ragdoll, ignoring her squeals of protest.

"Natsuuu! Put me down!" She cried in terror as she feebly knocked on his back with her fists.

"Huh? Did you hear something, Happy?" he asked in mocking oblivion, spinning around wildly as he feigned looking for the source of wailing, which only served to increase the squealing.

The exceed laughed above them, joining in the act. "I think I did. It sounds like pig in heat."

"You're SO dead, cat!"

Natsu let out a boisterous laugh and began sauntering off in the direction of the next town, deliberately increasing the sway of his steps to jostle his poor, helpless partner.

* * *

The trio reached the town just as the sun began to streak the sky with a deep orange glow. Natsu glanced at his partner (of whom he had reluctantly released from his hold shortly into the walk). His breath hitched as he watched the blazing sunset turned her golden hair aflame. A small fire ignited in his stomach as he gazed in awe upon her glowing form, the light of the setting sun framing her features gorgeously.

"Woooow! The sunset is so beautiful here!" Lucy cried wistfully, drawing her hands to her chest in wonder.

"Yeah… Beautiful…" Natsu caught himself saying, his eyes never leaving his partner.

He snapped out of his reverie when Lucy spotted an inn and grabbed his wrist to guide him there. A blush crept up his cheeks as he realised how long he had been staring at her. These feelings were gonna cause him some trouble sooner or later. Natsu was just glad his blue-furred friend hadn't noticed his awed expression; he would never have heard the end of it.

Luck was on their side that night as they managed to snag the last available room for two, and before they knew it, they had settled into their accommodation.

It was a quaint little room with soft carpet, a leather couch set, and two large windows that looked out over a gorgeous garden. Two beds sat to one side of the room, separated by a large bedside table, and on the other side was a small fireplace already stocked with fresh firewood. Natsu immediately hurried over to it and began lighting the fire, munching on the burning wood with glee.

"We should get some rest, guys. I'm exhausted from that long walk, and we've got to meet the client first thing in the morning." Lucy commented as she began laying out her things.

"Uuuuugh, that's so _early_," Natsu and Happy cried in unison.

"Guess you should've thought about that before you lost all our pay in the last job," Lucy teased with a singsong voice, causing Natsu to grumble indignantly.

"What's this book thing even about anyway?" He asked over his fireplace snack.

He watched as Lucy grabbed the job flyer and began scanning the page. "It doesn't really say, but from the looks of it, it seems important. Makes me think it must be at least a bit powerful, especially since the client is an old nobleman."

"Or it's a book full of naughty pictures," Happy sniggered immaturely.

Lucy's deadpanned face caused Natsu let out a laugh. "Go fly into the sun, you glorified pigeon," her remark causing Natsu to laugh even harder.

Standing up from his position by the fireplace, Natsu stretched his arms into the air. "As long as we get paid, who cares what's in it? We wouldn't want Lucy to lose her nice, comfy bed. Right, Happy?"

"Aye, sir!"

Natsu laughed again as he ducked under the shoe hurled at his head from the indignant blonde. He flashed her an innocent smile and saw her turn her head away quickly, a light rosy colour adorning her cheeks.

"I'm going to have a bath, don't destroy anything." The celestial mage gathered her items and hurried into the bathroom.

Natsu and Happy glanced at each other and shrugged. Throwing themselves onto one of the beds, they quickly fell into a deep slumber as the sound of running water from beyond the bathroom wall filled their ears.

* * *

Lucy crouched on the cold ground, her knees digging into sharp stones as she gazed in horror at the book before her. **E.N.D**. Natsu. The cover burst open, and from its aged pages surged demonic, unfamiliar letters. Lucy scrambled to read them, tearing her eyes across the symbols in a desperate attempt to decipher the abstract language. Panic flooded her veins, constricting her lungs and turning her blood to ice as the letters whizzed around her, out of sight. It was too much, too fast; he was going to die. Lucy stared in horror as the words spilled into the dark sky, draining Natsu's life into the clouds.

She let out a desperate cry and scrabbled for the book with trembling hands, attempting to interpret the writings from the source. A strangled gasp caught in her throat as the pages slowly turned to ash beneath her shaky fingers. Tears streamed from her chocolate eyes as she sobbed, falling upon the crumbling pages. Lucy dropped the book in shock as where her teardrops had fallen turned a deep, crimson red, spreading out to engulf the paper and obscuring the words upon it. A sharp metallic tang hit her nose like a punch. Hesitantly raising her eyes from the destroyed tome, the terrified mage gasped as she saw blood flowing along the ground towards her, staining the pavement red. She scrambled backwards, whipping her head up to identify it's source. She froze in terror as her eyes found the body slumped on the ground before her, pink hair barely visible beneath the splattered crimson. Blood oozed from the gaping hole where his chest should have been. Blank, lifeless eyes stared directly at Lucy, causing her lungs to burn with panic and she gasped for air. She let out a scream as Natsu's jaw snapped open with a sickening crack and a rasping sound escaped his pale lips.

"Why didn't you save me, Lucy?" The corpse breathed.

"I'm sorry… I… I couldn't do it… I tried!" Lucy stuttered between sobs, clutching her head in anguish.

"Why did you let me die?"

"No! I didn't!" Lucy screamed as she squeezed her eyes shut, digging her nails into her scalp as she tried to force the scene out of her mind. A hot breath appeared at her neck, causing a shiver to run down Lucy's spine. She froze as a growling, hollow voice whispered in her ear.

"The demon will die."

* * *

Lucy woke with a start, throwing herself forwards as her waking body finally reacted to the terror flooding her veins. Her skin was damp with a thick sheen of sweat, her panting breaths the only sound in the quiet room. Glancing across the moonlit space to the next bed, she watched in relief as her partner's chest rose and fell as he drew life into his lungs. The image of his mauled corpse flashed across her mind, making Lucy rub her face to try and force the memory away. She was unsurprised to find tears staining her cheeks. Where the hell did that dream come from?

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Lucy rose to her feet and crossed the room towards her fire-breathing friend. A small smile danced on the blonde's face at the sight of his peaceful expression; she experienced a strong wave of affection as she gazed at his sleeping form. Natsu let out a faint mumble and shifted in his sleep, revealing the thick scar decorating his cheek. Lucy felt a pang at the sight of it, remembering the war in which it was caused, remembering how she almost lost him. She shook her head silently to chase the thoughts away, and stole another glance at her slumbering partner.

The fire mage continued to twitch as he dreamt, and remembering with horrified amusement how well it went the last time she watched him sleep like this, she backed off quickly. Lucy was not looking to relive the experience of being punched through a roof. Letting out a sigh, the still-shaken girl cast her eyes out the window to the gorgeous flower gardens below. Figuring sleep would remain elusive, Lucy decided make her way outside in the hopes of clearing her mind of the memories she did not want to relive with the crisp air of a clear summer's night.

* * *

_Thanks for reading the next instalment of 'Crap I Came Up With At 3am'! (I literally finished this chapter at 4.50am. I hate myself)_

_Sorry this was a long one, I have a chronic over-writing problem which is gonna kill me when uni starts :) :)_

_I hope to have the next chapter up in the next couple of weeks (and hopefully it won't be this long XD)_

_Thanks for all the favourites and follows xx_

_Yall. Are. Legends. X_


	3. Chapter 3

**I am sooooooo sorry this took so long, there's literally no excuse, I'm just lazy. And there's also the fact that I'm a perfectionist and rewrote this like 6 times 'cause I like to torture myself. Also, I have just started uni and science degrees are HARD. Definitely not helped by all this virus crap :( **

**But! Now that everything's in lockdown, I should have more time to write!**

**But for real, thank you so much to everyone who favourited, followed and reviewed this story, it genuinely means so much and is a huge motivator to continue writing! Stay legendary!**

* * *

The faint sound of the closing door roused Natsu from his quiet slumber. He blinked slowly, straining to see through bleary eyes into the shadowed room. Questioning whether the noise had been his imagination or not, Natsu lifted his foggy head and glanced around curiously. His confusion grew as he noticed the apparent lack of shape in the other bed. He took a deep breath; her scent still hung in the air. _Maybe she just went to the bathroom._

A fainter scent lingered in the room, but it struck Natsu's nose like a punch– salt. Becoming concerned, Natsu lifted himself from his bed, careful not to disturb the slumbering feline, and began to investigate. He approached Lucy's empty bed and ran his hand over the pillow. The concern gripping his heart worsened as his fingers felt moisture. That confirmed it; she had been crying. Casting his attention to the bathroom, Natsu listened for any indication of his partner. Silence met his straining ears, causing him to become increasingly worried. _Where is she?_

He made his way to the main door and entered the hallway, noticing her scent, still fresh, leading down the passage. Casting a quick glance back into the room to check Happy was still peacefully sleeping, Natsu eased the door closed and hurried down the hall, anxious to find his blonde partner.

Following the sweet scent of strawberries and starlight, Natsu emerged out the back of the inn, into a beautiful garden he had somehow failed to notice before. He gazed in wonder at the floral paradise around him as he traversed the path. The wind shifted, bringing with it a more potent dose of strawberry scent. Staring in that direction, Natsu felt his breath hitched, and he stopped dead in his tracks. Nestled in the curve of a wooden bench sat his best friend and partner. The starlight rained down on her golden locks, making her glow with an ethereal radiance. Even the drifting banks of clouds streaking across the dusty sky did little to suppress her celestial shine. Natsu watched in awe as Lucy gazed up into the heavens, the watery gleam of the night illuminating her troubled expression. Longing and worry clawed at the pinkette's chest, drawing him forward towards the distressed summoner. He didn't know what had happened, but the need to drive away all her sadness and unease almost overwhelmed him, so he quickened his pace and hurried to his partner's side.

* * *

Lucy drew in a deep breath of the crisp, night air, staring blankly into the stars as thoughts raced through her head. She tried to calm her mind by locating the signs of her dear spirits. Scorpio. Virgo. Sagittarius.

"Hey, Lucy. What's up?"

The sudden appearance of Natsu's jovial voice caused Lucy to break out of her reverie with a sharp squeal.

"Natsuuuu. Don't sneak up on me like that," she cried with a pout.

A cheeky grin had crept its way onto the salamander's face at the sound of the blonde's cute squeal. "I didn't sneak. You were just too busy daydreaming to notice," he pointed out smugly.

Settling in the bench next to her, Natsu gazed intently at Lucy, the sudden seriousness causing her to squirm in her seat.

"Is something wrong, Lucy?" He spoke with a surprisingly gentle tone that made Lucy's insides melt.

She didn't want to worry him; Lucy knew he would fret over her for nothing. So, she flashed him a smile, trying to replicate the warmth of his usual, innocent beams. "I'm fine, really. I just had a bad dream as all."

In an unexpected gesture, Natsu reached up and gently stroked beneath her eye, still red and puffy from her tears. Every point of contact burned like fire, causing Lucy's breath to catch in her throat. "Natsu…"

"Don't lie to me, Luce." His low voice rumbled in his chest as he gazed deep into her chocolate eyes, imploring her to share her troubles with him, to unload her burden. Lucy trembled slightly under his penetrating gaze, flustered and confused by his sudden intensity.

Mistaking her trembles for being cold, Natsu edged closer. He took her hand and held it against his chest, causing Lucy's already flushed cheeks to explode with colour. "Hey, talk to me. I hate to see you sad."

"I-" Lucy couldn't keep her voice from shaking. She kept her eyes trained on her captured hand, unable to meet his forceful gaze. "It _was_ just a dream," she choked out, trying desperately to keep her voice steady, "but- I…"

He kept quiet, waiting for her to continue. Lucy could still feel his worried eyes boring into her, so she chanced a glance up. When she met his gaze, the memory of her dream flashed across her mind again. She remembered his pale face staring at her, blank and lifeless, and pressure built up behind her eyes like a volcano waiting to erupt. "I saw you die," she whispered hoarsely. "I dreamt about the book, about you disappearing."

"Lucy…"

She let out a shaky breath, feeling the lump in her throat rise like magma. "It was just like before, but this time it wouldn't stop – _I_ couldn't stop it. It terrified me." Her voice broke, and with it erupted the tears she had fought so hard to hold back. "If I'd made even one mistake back then, it would've killed you. I wouldn't be able to handle it if I lost you, Natsu." Her tears left burning streaks down her face as she wept into the cold night air.

He didn't respond, but he didn't need to. She saw it in the tightening of his mouth, in the furrow of his brow, in the emotions swirling behind his onyx eyes – concern, torment, sympathy, pain. He understood. He knew what she was feeling, that it ran deeper than just any old nightmare. He knew what it is like to fear losing someone so much that it hurt, and the heart-shattering pain of when you did. He laid it all bare on his face as if he were letting her take comfort in his mirrored emotions.

Wordlessly, Natsu lifted his arms around her trembling form and drew her close to him. He nestled Lucy's head into the crook of his neck as if to shield her face from all the world's pain. She breathed in the familiar scent of woodsmoke, and relaxed into his embrace, a small smile creeping onto her trembling lips. There they stayed for countless heartbeats, bathing in the warmth of each other as the stars glistered knowingly above.

After what felt like forever, Natsu spoke, murmuring softly to Lucy as if he couldn't bear to break the quiet tranquillity between them. "Lucy… don't worry. We'll protect each other no matter what, just like we always do." His arms tightened slightly around her before he drew back and gazed warmly into her eyes. "We'll always be together," he exclaimed with a smile.

She knew he meant it. She could feel the sincerity in his words as if he had reached into her heart and set it aflame, warming her soul from the inside out. A bright smile spread across Lucy's face, chasing the last of her nightmare from her thoughts. "Always and forever," she breathed, gazing happily into Natsu's eyes.

Maybe it was the dim moonlight washing his features with a mysterious hue, or the gentle expression he bore, or even the relief of being with him after the torment of her sleeping mind, but, for a moment, Natsu looked different. His childish innocence seemed to fade away into the cold night air, leaving behind a tender strength and security only found in fairy tales. A sudden, visceral feeling pooled in Lucy's stomach, as alien as it was warming, causing her heart to pound against her ribcage in an unsteady palpitation. Time stood still around them as Lucy stared at the man before her, their breaths mixing in a cloudy swirl. It was a century trapped in a moment; ethereal, perfect, and utterly impenetrable by anything beyond their stolen world of two.

.

Well… Almost anything.

.

.

.

"You liiiiiike each other~"

* * *

_So, there is it, my long overdue chapter. I hope it was worth the wait!_

_My biggest fear is that they're way too OOC to be believable, but I also understand that you gotta take some creative liberties with this stuff. _

_Please leave a review and tell me what you think! Don't be afraid to be honest!_

_Now that classes are online, I've got a bit more time to write, so hopefully I can churn out another chap soon. Rest assured, although this took me a long time, I have no intentions of dropping this story, and I really wanna show you all the path I have laid out for it!_

_I really appreciate you legends so much!_


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